The Lover After Me
by Aiko Kitty Skywalker
Summary: Vader is dispatched to Alderran to investigate Bail Organa's link to the rebellion. Yet after almost six and a half agonizing years Vader will meet up with his wife there on Alderran, to discover that Padmé isn't his, but Organa's. And what of Padmé's c


Hiya everyone! It's Aiko here with a tissue warning.

Hehe anyways the disclaimer is I don't own Star Wars so don't sue. The song is The Lover After Me by Savage Garden I do not own that either.

Please review.

The Lover After Me By Aiko "Kitty" Skywalker 

Padmé could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the deepest pits of her agony colliding harshly with the realities of what was happening.

Vader was here, here on Alderran, her home. Alderran had never been a great home to her, but there was where she had food and shelter, there was where she could raise her daughter without questions of who her father was, yet she never had a father for her daughter, through the pain, through the guilt of Bail Organa, he couldn't be her father. Leia Organa, no Leia Skywalker, didn't have a father.

"Oh Ani, where did you go?" she asked as she leaned her head against the back of her thrown in the large thrown room decked out with festival banners of ruby red velvet and gold tipped lace. Everywhere she looked, happiness displayed itself, or at least it should, yet today was different. It wasn't the same as it ever had been before as she tried to relax against the soft crushed velvets of her over stuffed backing of her thrown. Bail had had it hand crafted and brought in especially for her as a wedding present, signifying her royal unity to him in their marriage. She was the people's queen she was decent and beautiful, yet she rarely spoke to the public over her five-year reign at her husband's side.

She had been grateful, oh yes she had been grateful. When Obi Wan had relived her of the stresses of hiding from planet to planet, stealing aboard ships to try to escape the grips of the Dark Side and the Empire, she had been grateful. She had been delivered to Bail Organa, decked out in the clothes of a senator. At the time Bail was merely a prince of a planet, soon to be king. Yet when she arrived she had stolen his breath away. He had agreed to marry Padmé before he met her when Obi Wan had confronted him about the idea, yet only one child would he take. That was the first mistake Padmé underwent when she turned to marry Organa when she arrived upon the planet. Yet for her other child's sake she married, hoping to supply a father for her little one.

Yet over the past years of her daughter's life, she knew Leia had rejected Bail as her father. Oh she said she loved him, she kissed him good night before she went to bed, yet she never told her mother that she envied him. Even at five years of age, Leia knew, oh yes she knew, Bail was not her father. She could see the differences between her "father" and her; she almost detested Bail, yet she would not admit it, not even to herself.

"Oh Ani, look at what you've done to our daughter, look at what I've done."

*

Darth Vader slowly entered the gates of the capital city of Alderran, Aldera, Vader could feel a strange sensation, the feeling of a woman he had not known in such a time that it had almost felt like she had disappeared into thin air, yet he knew, oh yes he knew, she was alive.

"Ami…are you hear my Ami?"

Accompanied by his many storm troopers, Vader had no problems in accessing the castle of the city of Aldera, the home of the King and the royal family of the entire planet. Oh how he hated the king here, the beloved king of the planet of Alderran, he had despised him since he had first served with him in the Clone Wars. That was one of the only things he wish to repent throughout his life, the service he spent under Bail's lead.

Here I go again I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today  
It's been seven months and counting  
You've moved on  
I still feel exactly the same  
It's just the that everywhere I go all the buildings know your name  
Like photographs and memories of love  
Steel and granite reminders  
The city calls your name and I can't move on

Bail had always been a weasel in the galactic senate, always complaining about what was wrong with his planet, what was his needs at a certain time instead of any one else's. He would do anything to get what HE wanted. He remembered once when he was a young Jedi Padawan accompanying the beautiful love of his life to the galactic senate where she was pleading an issue as senator of her planet and Bail arguing with her, insisting that more important matters were at hand. Oh how he hated him, he had caused his Padmé so much pain when they were together, oh so much pain.

Now he found that he could finally have his revenge on the scrawny weasel that had annoyed him so much, the scrawny weasel that had been superior to him only because of age and royal stature, the man who he had hated. Vader had recently discovered Alderran's in the rebellion against the ever so powerful and growing stature of the Empire.

Vader pushed open the large double doors of the palace towards the large foyer. He could remember the palace, he never forgot. It had been seven years since he had entered the large double doors as Anakin Skywalker, young Jedi Padawan.

"Lord Vader what a pleasant yet unexpected visit you have honored us with." Came a voice from the top of red-carpeted steps at the end of the foyer. He stood looking as royal and boastful as he possibly could although Vader could see through his light barrier. It was as weak at hiding his fear as storm troopers armor was against guns.

"Yes well you know I am known to surprise."

"Well no matter how surprising it is to see you my lord, my family and I could not be more pleased to have you."

Like hell you are. Vader thought to himself as he stepped toward the shallow and wide steps that over the whole of the northern side of the foyer.

"I am only here for an inspection of the activities of you and this planet. I have had word that some planets near and around this system are involved in the rebellion."

"If you have heard that we are any part of it my lord than you can have my word, the word of the king of Alderran and war hero of the Alderran people…" Oh wow, I feel special every time I'm lied to. "…that I am not apart of any of this. After all we have no weapons, they are orbiting the galaxy, what use would we be to the rebellion?"

"Yes I understand that I have your word." What good would you be indeed weasel?

Ever since you've been gone  
The lights go out the same  
The only difference is  
You call another name  
To your love  
To your lover now  
To your love  
The lover after me

"Now Lord Vader what do you wish to inspect?"

"Your databank sir, if you would please lead me to them."

"Yes my lord."

*

Padmé could sense the ever dependent and dominant presence of her former husband within the castle, her home. It was a strange sensation to have him near again, yet at first it had seemed scary. She had tried with all of her might to hide herself from her former lover, the man whom still contained her heart in the palm of his hand. With all her might she tried to push her feelings away, captivating her attention. She quickly without a moment's hesitation searched the castle for the presence of her daughter Leia. Good, she must be out with one of her "aunts" or "uncles".

Leia my dear, please stay away, I don't want to lose you too.

She could feel the ever-dominating presence of her former husband and the frightened and suspenseful feeling of her husband coming towards the thrown room. It was strange. For a moment Padmé froze with the thought that he husband might have betrayed her location to her former husband. She could feel the people coming towards her, heading towards the double doors of the large looming chamber, which they called the thrown room. She contemplated for a moment locking the door, but what good would that do against a lord of the sith?

Next she contemplated hiding, yes hiding, it was her best option. Her mind twisted and turned over different hiding spots yet she knew, oh yes she knew she would be caught. She could not hide from her former husband, her former lover with the senses he had.

"Oh Ani, please don't…" she whispered.

*

Vader could feel his wife's presence coming closer to him as he walked towards the thrown room where Bail said they would discuss the matters at hand. It had been strange initially for him to feel the presence of his wife in the halls of the great castle of Alderran, yet he always remembered the many times he had surprised him in the past, he figured that nothing she did surprised him anymore.

Am I all alone in the universe?  
There's no love on these streets  
I have given mine away to a world that didn't want it anyway  
So this is my new freedom  
It's funny  
I don't remember being chained  
But nothing seems to make sense anymore

However when he entered the thrown room himself as the guards slowly pushed open the large double doors she had surprised him. There she was, as beautiful as she ever had been in the past, more beautiful even. It was she, his Padmé, his beautiful beautiful Padmé. However she was different. She was clad in a beautiful cream flowing dress of the royal family of Alderran, her hair was pulled up in two perfectly round, spiral buns at either side of her head over her ears.

"Ah Lord Vader I would like to introduce you to my wife Padmé Amidala Organa former Queen and Senator of Naboo."

"Wife?"

"Yes, my wife."

Vader looked through the coloured tints of the plastic designed over his eyes. He could feel the tears slowly slip down his cheeks, the first sign that he still lived inside of his mask that he had had since he first had his accident.

"You seem surprised Lord Vader."

"Not at you but at Padmé."

"Why so your lordship?"

"Yes, why so Lord Vader." Chimed in the beautiful queen from across the room that had risen from her thrown.

"It is just over the time that I have known you Padmé, I have seen you flourish from a bud to a rose, yet I never thought you would ever turn to being held down through marriage to a monarch."

Without you I'm always twenty minutes late

"I was married before Lord Vader as you should remember."

"Yes but to a newly titled Jedi Knight who allowed you freedom, you were never known to hold yourself down since you worked as senator, how long ago was that now?"

"Nine years lord Vader."

"Wait a second, you know each other?" asked a bewildered and astonished Bail Organa.

"Yes dear, we were once, very close."

"Very close indeed." Vader concluded softly. Padmé noted the soft tones in his voice, the regret he felt in himself.

"I did not know Lord Vader, this makes you ever the more welcome in our household." Bail took a noticeable glance towards his wife who was obviously hiding the pain she felt. He could see her eyes sparkle with a brim of tears, yet she tried her hardest to hide it all.

"My dear why do you not go and great Leia, she and my sister Amelia should be arriving back about now."

"That would be a good idea it is always nice to great her when she arrives home."

Ever since you've been gone  
The lights go out the same  
The only difference is  
You call another name  
To your love  
To your lover now  
To your love  
The lover after me  
  


Who's Leia? Questioned Vader. He knew that although the years had broken their bond through the force and the darkness had consumed pieces of their bond that she would still hear him, or at least he hoped she would hear him.

Our daughter. She concluded sharply. She had mixed feelings about her reaction. Pieces of her hopes he would take it as though Leia were Bail's child, yet another part, a dominant part still pleaded to him to see her as his own.

Yet Vader did not respond either way. After a moment of awkward silence and patience Padmé began to make her way down the steps hoping to the force to great her daughter and take her away before Vader could lay his eyes upon her, before he saw the similarities between himself and the child the Leia held dearly in her heart as Anakin's child, not Bail's.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy I'm home!"

Too late.

Into the jarred doors came a little five-year-old who seemed to sparkle with the brilliance of her mother's love. She neglected her father as she ran through the room towards her mother who knelt to pick up the little girl with open arms. Leia had been gone for nearly a week on a voyage around their little system, now she was home. Her feelings raced with confusion, who Anakin recognize the similarities between himself and his daughter? Would he even care to look at her?

"Beautiful little girl, is this Leia?"

Leia turned to look at the two men standing at the center of the floor. One she noted was the man whom she called father, the other was a man she had never noted before. Yet his voice, it soothed her although it was obviously muffled by the dark black mask that was pulled over his face. His black cape and stunning uniform scared most children, but Leia on the other hand felt that she needed to meet this man, no matter who he was.

"Yes I am Leia. What it your name?"

And time goes by so slowly  
The nights are cold and lonely  
I shouldn't be holding on  
But I'm still holding on for you  
  


"Leia sweetheart you should use a formal introduction when meeting our guests." Bail scolded the little girl who stood with her hand outstretched to their guest as she had seen her mother do so many times to other guests.

"I don't like my full name." She chided.

Padmé's expression softened as she listened to her daughter's rebellion. She could see that one day she would be a great leader, just Padmé prayed to the force it would be for the rebellion not for the Dark Side.

"Dear she may say what she wishes to this guest, I believe he shall understand her better than you do."

"Padmé my love what do you mean?"

Yet Padmé did not answer. All she saw before her, all she paid attention to was her daughter, the young and proud Leia, greeting her father, the lord of darkness.

"Hello Leia, I am Darth Vader, I am surprised you have heard no ill words about me by now."

"Oh but I have, the man at your side is always saying bad things about you."

"You mean the man at my side is not your father young Leia."

Here I go again  
I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today  
But I'm standing at your doorway  
I'm calling out your name because I can't move on  
  


"He says he is but it seems strange to call him dad."

Vader smiled beneath his mask. This little girl was so much like her mother he could not see her father in her at all. She did not seem to have a cowardly bone in her body.

"I see rebellion runs in your family Leia, what with your mother being a lot like you when she and I were friends a long time ago."

"You and mommy were friends?"

"Yes but as I said it was a long time ago, before your father came into the picture your mother and I were great friends. We were very close."

"Why aren't you anymore."

Damn it Leia, you have your father's inquiring mind, its so annoying sometimes. Padmé thought to herself angrily.

I was not aware that Organa over here had an inquiring mind. Vader spit out through their bond.

_Don't read my thoughts Vader, I have no allowed anyone to do that since Anakin was still my husband._

Am I not Anakin?

Not anymore. She answered as coldly as possible. Anakin is dead, as is his chance to ever have the family that I could have given him. I am married now Vader, I am not Padmé Skywalker anymore, I'm Padmé Amidala Organa, Queen of Alderran.

Its sounds weird to have you say that your majesty.

Yes well it should.

Although Padmé's heart pleaded with her to beg for forgiveness at the feet of the man before her, her mind repeatedly said no. 

Ever since you've been gone  
The lights go out the same  
The only difference is  
You call another name  
To your love  
To your lover now  
To your love

Vader could feel the tears roll down his cheeks. He took a last look down at the girl in front of her than at Bail and then back down to Leia again. He could not see the resemblance and if he were still part the man her was he would have seen that Leia was not Bail's but his, his very own Leia Skywalker, his sweet baby girl. Yet Vader was not the man he used to be, he was not Anakin Skywalker as Padmé had told him he was not, he had blocked off his only chances of ever being that man again when he looked between Bail and Leia and thought he saw a resemblance. That was his last chance, or so Padmé thought, of ever being human again, lying eyes upon the little girl that he should have loved.

"I hope you have a good life King Organa." Vader paused as though to remorse before his next comment. "Young princess be good for your mother, she loves you dear." Vader looked towards the woman who stood strong before her husband, child, and former husband. He head was held high although tears were abruptly sparkling in the pits of her bonnie blue eyes, although he could not see her tears, the Dark Side poisoned him to see the anger that wasn't there, the anguish that wasn't there, no fear, no remorse, just anger towards him, Darth Vader.

"I wish you a good life Queen Organa." He turned upon his heal to leave and as he fled through the doubled doors to his storm troopers who were towards the foyer. "Have fun with the lover after me."

"Ani…" she whispered as the double doors slammed shut behind the Dark Sith Lord. Bail stood in astonishment that Vader had flew without inspection of the royal documents, which could have easily saved the lives of the planet of Alderran. Yet something else puzzled him as he looked towards the door. Vader had said "the lover after me", what did he mean?

Padmé knew. She tried to hold her composure as Vader fled. She tried to hold herself to her spot as her daughter and husband looked on at her yet she felt her heart scream out to go after him. "Ani, please don't go…" she whispered as a flashback to Tatooine rose to her mind, the last time she saw him as her husband. "Ani, please don't go…" she could remember herself pleading as she fell to the ground abruptly sobbing until her heart could sob no more.

Yet she wouldn't let it happen again, she wouldn't let him leave he as he did before.

Padmé pushed past her husband and daughter, tears streaming down her face, pushing backwards through a draft of air that fled through the corridor doors. She ran as though the emperor herself was behind her as she clambered back down the steps of the foyer towards the entrance to the castle. Down the streets she pounded as she reached the outskirts. Only there did she stop abruptly by grabbing a hold of one of the gate's large sidewalls. She wouldn't have stopped if she still had a chance, but she knew he was gone. The last thing she saw before she fell to her knees and wept was the sight of Anakin Skywalker's, no Darth Vader's starship blast off into the distance.

"Ani! Ani I don't want there to be a lover after you! There is no lover after you! Ani!" she screamed as her heart wretched and tore to pieces. He was gone and she was alone again.

The lover after me

The End

Tune in for the sequel. Don't worry, it wont take years to get out ^_~. Hopefully it will be out later this week if not tomorrow, the sequel shall be called I Really Miss You. The next one after that will be called Never Had a Dream Come True. Hopefully they will all be out in the next two weeks so stay tunes.

Please review or e-mail me at aiko_kitty_skywalker@hotmail.com. 

May the force be with you!

Aiko "Kitty" Skywalker


End file.
